, Finance Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24—Pre-budget scrutiny
And then we can move on to item 8. Croeso cynnes to the finance Minister and her officials. Lovely to see you in these quite interesting times that we find ourselves in. I wonder if you'd like to introduce yourself and your officials.
, Finance Committee
Papers to note
If we move, then, on to item 7, we've just got one paper to note. I just think we'll note that paper, unless there are any objections to that.
, Finance Committee
Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest
Good afternoon. It's good to be here, and we are now going to start our public session of the Finance Committee today. This meeting is being broadcast live on Senedd.tv, and the Record of Proceedings will be published as usual. We've received apologies from…
, Plenary
Motion to approve the Official Languages Scheme for the Sixth Senedd and note the annual report on the Official Languages Scheme for 2021-22
Thank you very much for the scheme and for these reports. Over the weekend, I had the pleasure of singing with my choir, CF1, with another choir, for a tv show with Rhys Meirion, Canu Gyda fy Arwr, which will be broadcast early next year. It's not unusual for…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
The rising cost of essential items is something that we're all too familiar with. The current rate of inflation, at about 9.9 per cent, is causing people in Wales dire financial problems. In agriculture, the rate of inflation is running at a staggering 23.5…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
Thank you for the answer.
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefnydd
4. What is the Government doing to promote food security? OQ58445
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Finance and Local Government: Response to the UK Government Financial Statement
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Minister, could you maybe give us an indication of whether you agreed with Andy Burnham leaving the 20 per cent rate as it is, so that it leaves the money there, so that we can actually invest in our communities?
, Plenary
Topical Questions
Bearmach has been a good local employer for many years in the Bedwas and Trethomas area. Apart from the 50 jobs that have been quoted as being affected, there will also be, as we've heard, lots of other agency staff employed at the site, who have now lost…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
This winter will be one of the most challenging in the history of devolution, because the cost-of-living crisis will have a brutal and merciless impact on almost everybody, but especially the most vulnerable, without significant state intervention. Education…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
Thank you for that response.
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language
7. What is the Government doing to create the best learning environment for children? OQ58399
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Ministerial scrutiny session—Topical matters
And that's probably through committee structures, to start thinking through in those areas.
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Ministerial scrutiny session—Topical matters
On the back of that, especially more on the finance element, would you be in favour of setting up, maybe, an independent group to review some of those constitutional elements and maybe to help draw in more widely how we redesign this place and how we move…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Ministerial scrutiny session—Topical matters
If there's time, then, just following on from the priorities debate we had on Wednesday, the finance Minister said she was open to talking about the budget protocol and that element. Wearing my Finance Committee hat, we're also interested in looking at…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Ministerial scrutiny session—Topical matters
And we've got bank nursing within the NHS that could potentially fill that gap, but we're not doing it.
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Ministerial scrutiny session—Topical matters
Just to follow on with regard to staffing, then, and making sure that we've got enough staff—and I was talking to the Royal College of Nursing earlier this week—we're in danger of losing good quality staff, nurses, through burnout, through being fed up and…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Ministerial scrutiny session—Topical matters
Yes. If you cast your mind back a few weeks, we spent a pleasant evening watching Blackadder Goes Forth, and an excellent production it was, but we saw in there the futility of repeating plans and the final push. The centralisation of vascular services in…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Economic strategy for coastal and rural communities
But it's certainly on your radar as something—
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Economic strategy for coastal and rural communities
Just a quick one, following on from what Jenny said around food production, fisheries and aquaculture obviously are based in these communities and would help stimulate some of that economic growth. When can the industry expect a fisheries and aquaculture…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Economic strategy for coastal and rural communities
And is there a way of helping to encourage young farmers to come into the industry? Buying land is an expensive way, so is there anything else that could be done?
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Economic strategy for coastal and rural communities
Just finally from me, just something that struck me: if Government is buying up land to plant trees and to create a national forest, what consideration is given to whether or not that land could be bought by a young farmer that's starting out? If it's…
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Economic strategy for coastal and rural communities
Of course, yes.
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Economic strategy for coastal and rural communities
Thank you. And just—
, Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister
Economic strategy for coastal and rural communities
So, I'd like to get an update on a similar sort of issue. What's the Welsh Government's response to the findings of the group established by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change to look at alternative finance models, including maintaining local ownership…
